


happier - percabeth

by orphan_account



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Gods (Percy Jackson), Bisexual Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson), Bisexual Piper McLean, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Grover (Percy Jackson) is a Good Friend, M/M, Minor Annabeth Chase/Piper McLean, Past Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Percy Jackson is Good Boyfriend, Piper McLean is a Good Friend, Protective Hazel Levesque
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29486619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "I've always been so sure about who I am. About what I want. I'm not so sure anymore.""Does it really matter as long as you're happy how you are?"WARNING: this book contains harsh language (no slurs though), anxiety, abuse, mentions of alcohol,  mentions of drugs, and off screen suicide. this will be updated as the story goes along.au where covid doesn't exist bc plot convenience.yes its percabeth. dont worry.ive done my best to avoid annoying tropes like the main character being "not like other girls." so i tried to make annabeth likeable but also flawed.I own nothing you recognize
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. it worked for aunt becky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >warning: mentions of drugs, alcohol, and suicide

2028  
Grover Underwood POV

You know how you spend your entire day peacefully, and then when you try to sleep at night, you just can’t? Like, you start thinking about that embarrassing thing you did all those years ago?

That's every single night for me. The same moment. I remember it all so well. Well, not that well. I was drunk, after all.

What I do remember is that everyone lost something that day. Especially our principal. He lost his job.

But we’re not talking about that day. We’re talking about this day.

I was in bed, thinking about my embarrassing moment, when my phone started ringing. I picked it up and looked at the caller ID. It was an unknown number.

Nervously, I pressed ‘Accept’ and put the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“Grover?!” the caller said. “Oh my god, is it really you?! I didn’t think I’d be able to get ahold of you! We’ve got so much to catch up on and talk about, but first-”

“Wait,” I interrupted. “I’m sorry, but... who is this?”

“Right! Sorry ’bout that. This is Piper. We went to high school together?”

“Piper McLean? Yeah, I remember you. You were Annabeth’s friend, right?”

“Mmhmm. And you were Percy’s friend, right?”

I chuckled. “It feels nice to be remembered. Why’d you call? If there’s a reunion, I’m sorry, Piper but I don’t think I can handle seeing everyone again. Not after what happened-”

“No, this is about something else. Principal D is in the hospital.”

I sat up. “What?”

“Yeah, uh... apparently after he lost his job he fell into depression, I guess. He started drinking, doing drugs, y’know. And recently, he, um... attempted suicide.”

My joy of being able to talk to my old classmate was gone. “Oh my god... I-”

“Grover, I know what you're gonna say. Don’t you dare you think this is your fault. What you did had nothing to with him going under the influence.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I'm rolling my eyes at you so hard right now.”

“I'm serious, Pipes! This is not a joke. A man’s life is on the line.”

“And that’s not even what you’re upset about!” Piper exclaimed. “You’re just upset because you think it's your fault! You’re being a drama queen. Your little ‘traumatic moment’ wasn’t even that bad!”

“I was there, Piper. It was horrible. Believe me, I know.”

“You were drunk. You don’t know shit.”

I was just about to bring in my side of the argument, but she decided to start talking again before I could.

“You threw a tiny tantrum in front of the whole school. Big deal. Grow up, man. Barely anyone cared about your little drunken speech. And it certainly didn't send our principal into depression.” she said. “Now, stop being a little wuss and haul your ass over here so we can all reunite at the hospital over our ex-principal’s almost-death like a big, happy family.”

The way she said it... so harsh, but convincing. So I said, “Sure. When?”

“ASAP.”

“Alright.”

&&&

I walked through the door. The place smelled like... exactly how you would expect a hospital to smell. Like dying people.

Then I saw them.

Piper stood there looking almost exactly how she did when we were in high school. Beside her was a woman I didn't recognize with short black hair and a diamond stud in her nose.

I ran towards them as fast as my legs could take me and Piper attacked me in a hug.

“How are you?” I asked. Piper and I weren’t close but she was always kind to me, even when others weren’t. It was nice to see a familiar face. “Who’s this?” I said, turning to her friend.

“I’m doing pretty good actually. This is my girlfriend, Shel. Shel, this is Grover Underwood.”

Shel held her hand out for me to shake.“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh,” I said. I had no idea Piper was attracted to girls. I guess it wasn't all that surprising. “You and Jason didn’t work out then?”

She laughed, “Grover, it’s been years. Jason and I... it was nice while it lasted, but we were naive to think that we were going to last past college. We just didn’t have that much in common and we wanted different things."

I glanced at Shel. “Different things or... the same things?”

Shel snorted. Piper blushed and shushed her. “I’m bi. The only person who knew in high school was Annabeth. She never would’ve let me have a serious relationship with Jason if I was a lesbian. Not even as a cover.” She did a terrible impression of Annabeth's voice, “‘You need to have some self respect and stop torturing yourself.’”

“That seems like a pretty standard thing to say, actually.”

“Yeah, whatever. She sure talked a lot for someone who couldn’t follow her own advice. Jason and I also broke up because he had a crush on Brickney.”

“I’m sorry, did you just say Brickney?”

“Yes.”

“Forgive me if I don’t believe that that’s an actual person's name.”

Shel sighed. “Actually her name’s Brittney. Piper just likes to call her that because-”

“- that girl has the personality of a brick.”

“- she’s a bitter mean old lady who likes to bully people.”

“That too.”

“Anyway,” I gestured towards them awkwardly, “How long have you two been together?”

Shel replied,“We’ll be four years along in March.” She looked at Piper with a small smile on her face and took her hand in hers.

I looked at them and I could tell how much they loved each other. “So it’s pretty serious then?”

“Well, yeah. But we don’t really like calling it serious. ‘Serious’ is a word you would use for teachers at military school. And we definitely enjoy our relationship more than that.”

“I should hope so,” Piper mumbled.“Especially after-”

“Do we love each other? Yes. Would we do anything to make each other happy? Ye-”

“Debatable. I’m not giving you my tootsie roll just because you want it.”

“You’re still hung up on that? It was a week ago. Anyway our relationship is serious, I guess. But really, we just have fun together.”

“A lot of fun.”

“Piper.”

“Ok, sorry.”

So, Piper was in a loving relationship. She and her girlfriend have adorable and witty banter. They’re probably going to get married and have a bunch of adopted babies. What kind of crazy world do we live in where everyone can get their lives started except for me?

I decided not to say anything though. Instead I asked, “How’d you find me in the first place?”

“I had to contact a bunch of people, but mainly Facebook,” Piper replied. "I can't believe you’re still on that shithole.”

“Is anyone else coming?” I asked, ignoring the fact that she just kind of insulted me.

“Well,” said Piper. “I invited everyone.”

“I thought you said this wasn’t a reunion!”

“I never actually said that. And besides, we are here for Principal D. It’s not like we have no reason to see each other again.”

“Then why aren’t we in there right now?”

“Because,” she said, “they won’t let us be. Like I was saying," Piper continued, “I invited everyone but I don’t know how many people are actually coming. Only person who said they were was-”

A hauty voice interrupted her. “Guinevere!”

“That must be her.”

“Guinevere. No. GUINEVERE. Honey. Listen to me, mmkay? That’s a terrible idea. The answer is no. You hear me? NO. Ok, nice talking to you.”

The clicking of heels sounded behind me. Then, in front of me appeared the one and only Drew Tanaka. Head cheerleader, queen bee, and absolute diva.

Her dark ringlets were curled to perfection and were cascading down her shoulders. Her hair was tucked behind her ears, showing off her giant hoops. You know what they say. The bigger the hoop, the bigger the hoe.

She was only wearing an orange T-shirt and jeans, but still managed to look glamorous. She set her phone down and approached us.

“Hey, Grovie!” she said, giving me one of those hug kind of things where you kiss the air next to someone’s face. Yeah, it's weird.

“Hey, Drew,” I said, but she had already moved on from me as if I was hardly worth her attention. To be fair, she didn’t usually give attention to people unless she had extremely strong feelings for them. When I say ‘strong feelings,’ I mean either love or hate. No in between. Drew was pretty indifferent towards me. Piper on the other hand...

Drew turned to her, failing miserably at hiding her disappointment. “Pip!”

“Where did that nickname come from?” I heard Piper ask herself under her breath.

The girls hugged, awkwardly patting each other's back and exchanging ‘so great to see you’s and ‘we should do this more often’s.

Firstly, I don't think our dying principal being in the hospital is something that should happen more often. Unpopular opinion, I know.

Secondly: What the fuck?

I mean, girls supporting girls and all is great, but Piper and Drew? Bullshit.

Acting like besties when they were at each other’s throats the last time they saw each other. Let’s be honest, no one really gets over high school rivalries.

“We’re not sure whether anyone else is coming or not, but-”

“So what? Eff them, right?” Drew said. “We’re not here for them! We're here for... um... I forgot his name...”

Piper visibly resisted rolling her eyes. “Dionysus.”

“Huh?”

“Our old principal.”

“Right! Him! I never liked him. Why do we care about him?”

“Didn't you read the email I sent you?”

“Who even reads emails anymore?”

“You do! Why else would you be here?”

“I don’t read emails, I get my assistant to read them for me. I just came here because I was bored and it was near by. Like, obviously!”

“Assistant? Drew, you got a job? How’d you get the boss to give it to you? Did you sleep with him?”

“Okay, Pipsqueak, just FYI, the boss was a they! Non-binary people can be bosses! Honestly, woke up!”

“Okay, but did you sleep with them?”

“Ladies, ladies!” I said before it escalated any further (although it was entertaining). “I think that’s enough sniping to make up for the years you missed out on.”

For a second, I thought I heard Drew mutter, “As if.” Wouldn’t that be funny?

“Anyway...” Shel said. “How about you start catching up?”

“And who are you?” Shel opened her mouth to answer but Drew cut her off. “Actually never mind, I don’t care. Mmkay, so, I graduated college-”

“Online, I’m guessing?” Piper interrupted oh-so-innocently.

“No! Beauty school in Milan!”

“Daddy payed to get you in?”

“Piper!”

“I’m just saying, it worked for Aunt Becky in 2019.”

“Anyhoo...” Drew continued, glaring daggers at Piper. “I got a job at-”

“But real talk: did you sleep with your boss?”

"Yes, Piper. I slept with them. Are you happy now?"

Piper sat back comfortably in a chair with a smug look on her face. “Very.”

“You’re a bully, you know?”

"...is what you say to your reflection as you stare at the mirror for four hours every morning and think about how cruel and empty your soul is?”

“Were they always this bad?” Shel whispered to me.

“Maybe,” I whispered back. “Not sure.”

“Should we stop them?”

“Should I be ashamed if I want to see where this goes?”

“Not at all.”

So we turned our gaze back onto the chick fight. I really wish I had brought popcorn.

“Well, Piper,” Drew was saying. “If my life so uninteresting and you just can’t survive without interrupting me, why don't you tell me about your oh so amazing life?”

“Okay. Went to a real college on a scholarship. Back then, I wasn’t a successful lawyer like I am now, so I still needed a job. So when I wasn’t investing my time in internships with successful law firms I was working as a waitress. A job I got without sleeping with the boss. Well, at least not before I was hired.”

“I was the boss,” Shel chimed in.

“Yeah, we were friends a really long time before we actually started dating. It took me about a year to figure out that she liked girls.”

“Anyway,” Drew said. “Since you guys obviously have lives more boring than a middle school history lesson, let's-”

“Hey!” I protested. “I haven't even said anything yet!”

“Has anything interesting happened to you since high school?”

“Um...”

“Yeah. That’s what I thought. Like I was saying, since we can’t go in and we can't make small talk, we should just play a game of truth or dare!”

“Truth or dare, Drew?” Piper spat out in disgust. “We’re not in high school anymore.”

“She's actually got a point, Pipes,” Shel said. “It might be nice to relive the good old days.”

Piper grumbled but agreed eventually.

“Okay...” Drew thought for a second before saying, “Grovie! Truth or dare?"”

I gulped. “Truth.” I know, I know. Call me a wuss, but this was a hospital. I was not about to stand up on my chair and do the Macarena.

“Okay... disappointing, but whatever. What is your biggest regret throughout high school?”

“I think that ones pretty obvious. The end.”

What am I talking about?  
Again, not important.

Piper groaned. “We’ve been over this. It wasn’t that bad.”

“Uh, yeah it was.” That was Drew. “I personally don’t have any regrets.”

“Of course you don’t,” muttered Piper.

“I wanted to be head cheerleader, so that’s what I became. I wanted to become the most popular girl in our grade, so that’s what I did.”

“Oh, please,” said Piper. “You were not the most popular girl. Annabeth was.”

Drew ignored her and continued to talk about herself. “I just wish something happened between Luke and I.”

“I never liked Luke. Why Annabeth ever dated him, I can't understand. He was a sucky human being. Perfect for you.”

“Whatever. He was hot.”

“I’ll never understand you heterosexuals.”

Who’s Luke, you ask?  
Where did this Annabeth person come from?

Long story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so fun fact  
> i started writing this in 2019  
> and i published the first chapter  
> but then i chickened out bc i was self conscious  
> and i didn't have any readers so i figured "eh no one's going to care"  
> but yeah i found this in my drafts and now, after some heavy editing im publishing this first chapter
> 
> so i really hope u guys enjoyed this.
> 
> love,  
> ary


	2. mhm. just give me the shoes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont think theres anything triggering in this chapter but let me know if i missed anything.

202l

Annabeth Chase POV

I skimmed through the shelves of the bookstore for the twentieth time. Finally, I picked one out.

I checked my watch. "Shit..." I muttered to myself. I was running out of time. They were going to start to think something was up.

I went to the counter and handed the book over to the lady. "This one, please."

She glanced up at me through her half moon glasses. "6.99," She said dully.

"Nice." She looked at me weirdly. "I mean, thank you..." I checked her name tag. "Abigail."

She grunted in response. I guess she just wasn't a people person. Too bad. Being friends with the owner of a bookstore could get me some awesome discounts.

I carefully placed the book in my Prada purse, not wanting to ruffle the pages.

I know what you're thinking. Prada? You really didn't strike me as that kind of girl, Anna.

First of all, don't call me Anna. Or Beth. My name is Annabeth. Three syllables. I don't care who you think you are, you can take two seconds of your day to say my name right.

Second of all, my dad is rich. That means I have a bunch of stuff I don't need. Purses, makeup, outfits, etc. People say I'm popular, but I'm not. My accessories are. My money is.

And they say you can't buy friends.

To be fair, I do have some real friends. Not all of them are fake. There's Piper, Hazel, Katie, you know. They know that I'm more than just a girl who can afford extra soft toilet paper. They know that I actually have a personality. I feel like everyone else knows that, too. They just don't bother to know more. Does that make sense?

It's not that I don't appreciate everything I have. I actually really love some of those dresses and shoes. Trying them on and dancing around my room is one of my favourite pastimes. Mostly because no one is there. I'm not trying to impress some guy. I'm dressing for nobody but myself. So I can feel pretty. So I can look at myself in the mirror and think, 'Wow. I actually don't hate myself today.'

The way people are shamed for dressing the way they feel comfortable is disgusting. I, being one of those people, can tell you that.

But I'm allowed to have other interests, aren't I? Whoever came up with the stereotype that popular people have no other talents has probably never met a real teenager in the 21st century.

Now all I had to do was sneak back into the store. Why was I sneaking in if I had plenty of money? Good question. The answer kind of contradicts what I said earlier, but we can ignore that.

I hadn't come to the mall alone. All my 'friends' were there. I couldn't be caught dead in a book store if they were around. I mean, gods forbid I'm actually smart.

I would just exit through the back of the bookstore the same way I entered and enter through the back the same way I exited. Piece of cake. Then I'd buy a bunch of unreasonably overpriced stuff and no one would suspect that I ever left.

So I ran out of the bookstore as fast as my annoyingly high heels could take me. I stopped at the candy store to buy a pack of marshmallows, remembering how Hazel would always order her hot chocolate without them because she was 'too sophisticated,' but then immediately crave them afterwards.

&&&

I skimmed the shelves and picked up the first pair of pumps I could find.

"Excusé moi, mademoiselle," said a voice, surprising me. An employee had snuck up on me. Gods, I hated when they did that. "May I help you?"

"Um... how much are these for?"

"$150..."

"Really? That's actually not that-"

"... each."

I blinked. "Each? What do you mean 'each'?"

"Two shoes. One shoe is $150. Other shoe is also $150. Understand?"

"Isn't that just $300?"

"Oui. Very good. Now are you going to buy something, or are you going to continue to struggle with simple addition?"

"$300... for shoes. That's ridiculous," I mumbled.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said I'll take it."

"Right answer, mademoiselle. These will change your life and your social status will skyrocket like the numbers at the box office for Avengers: Endgame-"

"Mhmm. Just give me the shoes."

Several outfits later, I walked out of the store.

My stepmom, Helen and dad were outside. Great. Just great.

"Annie," Helen said, visibly grimacing at the very sight of me. She knew I hated being called that. "Where are you coming from?"

"Jail. I just walked out of a store, Helen. Where do you think I'm coming from?"

"Don't talk to your mother that way," Dad said.

This was the first time I had seen him in maybe a month. No 'Hi.' No 'I missed you, honey.' I always suspected that my dad cared more about Helen and the kids he had with her than he did about me. After all, he actually chose to have them in his life. I was just dumped on him by my mom right before she died in the shooting of the school where she taught algebra.

Real nice, I know.

Finally, I replied, "She's not my mom, Dad. She's your wife."

Was that harsh considering the fact that she was standing right there? Maybe. But I had already said it. Too late for take backs.

"And," I added, "I already have a ride." I pointed in the direction of the foodcourt where you could see a group of teenagers laughing. About what? I don't know. Most conversations with them are about as funny as a Lele Pons video (a/n: hdgdh im sorry if ur a lele stan. ue 100% entitled to ur own opinion. bc comedy is subjective and i personally dont find her funny). "So you don't need to drive me home."

My dad was about to say something, but I cut him off with, "I'm sure you have better things to do anyway." ''m guessing, I was right, because he didn't try to come after me when I walked away.

Was there a nicer, less passive aggressive way of saying that? Probably. Was I going to use that way? No. I'm allowed to be snarky. I'm allowed to throw shade at people when they're not being the nicest. It's not illegal. Slightly bitchy? Sure. But not illegal. That's what matters.

"Hey, guys!" I said as I got closer to the table everyone was sitting at.

"Annabeth! Good, you're here," said Piper, setting down her mocha. "Hazel's getting cranky."

"Don't worry, girl," I said. "I got you covered." I opened my purse to reveal the pink and white marshmallows.

Hazel squealed in delight, "You are a life saver. What would I do without you?"

"You'd die," I jokingly replied.

"We got you your order, by the way," said Katie, handing me a cup. I wasn't as close with her as I was with Piper and Hazel, but she was still really nice. "Oh and... Piper was gonna step in but we thought you might want to handle it yourself..."

"Handle what?" She pointed to the far end of the court. I guess I should have been outraged at what I saw. Really though, I was just tired.

Luke was there. With Drew. And they were too close for comfort, if you ask me.

I like to think I'm not the jealous type of girlfriend. When my boyfriend has female friends, I'd say I'm pretty supportive.

But supportive and ignorant aren't the same thing.

The worst part was that this wasn't even the first time. Luke and Drew were always doing this. And I was always catching them. And I never broke up with him. And every night I went to bed knowing that I should. And every day he would do the bare minimum to make up for it. And I'd just go along with it. Because it's convenient. Life as his girlfriend isn't the greatest. But I'll bet is better than life as his ex.

He said it was the last time. He said that the time before that, too.

I believed him.

I turned to Piper and pointed at her coffee cup. "Can I have this? I'll buy you another one. Pinky promise."

She wrapped her pinky around mine. "I'd give you a million mochas to watch this go down."

"Thanks," I said, picking up the cup and making my way to the oh-so-happy couple.

Now, I'm going to try and tell you what I saw before with lack of description so as to not make you vomit, but forgive me if I have failed.

Drew was practically climbing him-

Okay, maybe that's not a good way to start if I don't want to make you vomit. But she was.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck. Their faces were inches apart. He wasn't even pulling back. In fact, he was enjoying it. His hand was on her lower back. Her, ahem, very low lower back. His other hand was on her hip. She was pressed up against him and-

Nope. Nope nope nope. We are done with this description. Moving on.

Also, ew.

"Hey, guys!" I said, feigning cheer. "You look like you're having fun, don't you?"

"We were," said Drew. She really had no morals, did she? She knew she was hurting me. And she enjoyed it. "Weren't we, Lukey?"

Yuck.

"Um... Uh I-" 'Lukey' fumbled over his words.

"Drew, I love your sweater! Is that cashmere?" I said.

"Uh, yeah. It is," she replied like she was already tired of my presence.

"Well, you know, they say it's impossible to get a coffee stain out of cashmere."

"Thanks for the washing machine tip?"

"No problem! You're gonna need it."

Before you say anything.

1\. I didn't throw the whole thing at her.

2\. She deserved it.

3\. Even though she was hooking up with my boyfriend, she wasn't the one cheating. He was. And just because I kind of got back at Drew, doesn't mean that Luke was off the hook.

"Oh my gosh, do you even know how much this cost?"

I looked at her white, now partially brown, sweater. I did feel a little guilty. What I did was petty. Even if Drew did deserve it, that was her family's hard earned money. And I had put it to waste. But I didn't say that.

Instead I said, "It needed a little color anyways."

She looked like she wanted to strangle me. And I didn't blame her.

Sometimes you know that you're being a bitch. And you know that other people are acting rationally. But you've been raised this way and you can't unlearn that kind of stuff that fast.

Not to justify Drew or anything. Maybe she'll be like this forever. Maybe she won't.

Maybe I shouldn't feel bad for her.

People hate her. And she has no idea why. Because a life of entitlement is all she's ever known.

Of course, it's the parents' fault. It always is.

I still hate her, obviously. But I feel for her.

I walked back to my table. I could feel the group's eyes burning into the back of my head. They were already turning this whole thing against me. I knew they were. So was Luke.

I saw Piper, Hazel and Katie. Their faces were apologetic, but they were smiling. As if to say "It's gonna be okay."

"You were amazing," said Hazel.

"Yeah," Katie chimed in, "we couldn't hear you, but you totally put her in her place."

"What about Luke?" asked Piper.

"I'll talk to him," I promised. "Later. Not in front of all of these people."

She nodded in understanding. Katie's phone vibrated. "Damnit," she said. "It's my mom. We're out of cereal. She's asking me to pick more up. I'll see you guys?"

"Yeah, of course."

Katie got up and left. Just then, Hazel's boyfriend Frank Zhang walked over. "Hey!" said Hazel. "What's up?"

"Nothing, really," he said. "My grandma's calling so I have to go, and I know I was your ride here, so do you wanna leave? I mean, if you wanna stay, that's totally fine, you could ask someone else to give you a ride. Not that I don't want to spend time with you, I totally do. You know what, you could just call me up when you wanna leave and I'll pick you up. But that'll take too much time. How about I just don't leave-"

"Frank," Hazel got up and kissed his cheek, "you're rambling. Let's go."

"Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

When they were gone, I shook my head. "They're so perfect for each other. They make my relationship with Luke look like a pile of horse shit."

"Your relationship with Luke is a pile of horse shit," she replied.

"With Luke, it's... complicated. It really isn't that simple," I protested, still looking at the place Hazel and Frank were standing before they walked off.

"Isn't it though?"

Before I could say anything, she put her palms up. "I'm sorry. It's just that... you know, things were so much better before you and him got together."

I looked at her and she went red. "I- I don't mean like that, you know, I just mean that you were just so much happier when it was- You know what? I'm not gonna finish that sentence. Oh my god this is horrible." She buried her face in her hands.

I cracked a smile. She looked at me through her fingers. My smile grew. I let out a giggle. She chuckled through her nose. Pretty soon, we were both laughing like idiots.

"I know what you mean, Piper."

Maybe I should explain.

Before I started dating Luke, Piper and I were... not just friends.

No one else knew, but it was a pretty intense relationship. Being in the closet isn't the best, but it was easy pretending we weren't together. Our parents and friends wouldn't bat an eye if we were both spending the night in the same room. When we were going on dates, people assumed we were just hanging out. Just gals being pals.

Yeah, I'm never saying that sentence again.

She was right. Things were a lot more fun when we were together. Not that I'd consider going back to that relationship. Piper and I were good together. But it wasn't meant to be. It wasn't going to work out between us.

I'm just glad we stayed friends. I'm not sure what I'd do without her.

"Hey, Piper?"

"Mhmm."

"Can you drive me home?"

"You know I can't do that, Annabeth."

"Why not?"

"You need to talk to Luke. I understand not wanting to see him, but it's too much. He's too much. If you dont do it now, you never will. Stop doing this to yourself. Sort it out."

I groaned. "You're right. I know you are," I nodded. "I'm gonna do this. I will talk to him. Thanks, Piper."

"No problem. You still owe me a mocha, by the way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so um  
> second chapter  
> i wanted to make all the chapter close to the same length and i was kind of struggling with this, but it ended up being longer. so that's nice ig.  
> what are your thoughts on past pipabeth? they're not going to be a main ship throughout the story (since this is a percabeth fic) but idk ever since i came to terms w the fact that i like girls, the idea of pipabeth has really resonated w me.
> 
> love,  
> ary


	3. its not soap. and you dont smell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: mention of abuse, anxiety

2021

Frank Zhang POV

Hazel was staring out of the car window. There was no particular expression on her face, but her forehead was on the glass. The bumps in the road made her hit her head a few times but she must've too deep in thought to care, because her head was still resting in the same spot.

Her eyes must be hurting, I thought absent mindedly. The sun was really bright today. I don't see how she wasn't squinting. It was shining through the window, making her hair look like-

"Frank?" she said, still looking out the window.

"Yeah?"

"Eyes on the road."

"Oh- uh, I um... I was," I stuttered. "I was trying. Really hard. But your uh, face is very... distracting."

"You can tell me that after we get in an accident."

I turned to the road,"I'm sorry."

She sighed, "No."

"What do you mean? I mean it! I am-"

"No, Frank. You don't have to apologize. I'm sorry. I'm acting a little out of it. You did nothing to deserve my wannabe emo attitude."

"I don't know if I'd call it emo-"

"Well, either way, I've been acting weird. And I know that me saying stuff like that gives you anxiety."

"Hazel, it's okay. I assumed you were just lost in thought."

"You wouldn't be wrong."

"What's going on, Hazel?"

"I'm worried about Annabeth."

"I'm worried about you."

"Don't be. My boyfriend isn't a cheater. Right?"

"No! Of course not, why would you even-"

"I'm joking! I'm joking. Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I know you wouldn't do something like that, Frank."

"Oh. Ok. I knew that."

Hazel laughed, but then stopped. "I really am worried about Annabeth though."

"Yeah, I saw what went down back there. But the guys and I didn't see Luke and Drew until Annabeth walked over to them."

"Katie, Piper and I did."

"Why didn't you do anything?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hazel bury her face in her hands. Her voice was slightly muffled when she said, "She deserved to see the truth. And she wouldn't have believed us."

"Why? You guys are her friends. And hasn't Luke done this before?"

"Yeah, but Luke... I don't know what it is. She's always so strong-willed. But when it comes to him, she just... She convinces herself that he's what's good for her. Every time she says she's going to confront him, she comes back even more submissive than before. I don't understand why she keeps going back to him."

"Look," I said, "I'm friends with Annabeth. I care about her too. But, I don't know her like you do. I can't understand her like you can. Your guess is probably better than mine."

"I know, I know. But if I can't understand her and Piper can't understand her... Who can?"

"She can."

"But what if she can't?"

A thought sprang into my head. Before I could make a rational decision as to whether I should voice it, I said, "I read somewhere that people in abusive relationships keep going back to them because it's what's familiar."

Hazel's head snapped toward me. "You think Luke abuses her?"

"Like I said, it's not my place to be making accusations. I don't know if things have ever gotten physical. But there's definitely some form of emotional abuse or manipulation going on there. Annabeth needs help."

"Oh my god, you're right," she said. "I can't believe I didn't see it sooner. I'm such a bad friend."

"No, you're not Hazel."

"YES, I AM. It's like you said. You hardly know her-"

"Well I don't know if I'd say hardly-"

"-and you figured it out before I did! God knows, if you hadn't said anything I probably never would have figured it out!"

"Hazel, we don't even-"

"No! I need to speak to Annabeth."

"I'm sorry I made you leave her. We can head back if you want."

"Someone's eager to get rid of me."

"What? No! No I-" I saw the weak smile on her face. "Don't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry. I really need to stop doing that. But anyway, I have to talk to her. Or at least somehow figure out if she is in an abusive relationship. And then... Help her however I can, I guess. But until, I got you some stuff while we were at the mall."

"Hazel I- Oh my god I didn't get you anything. I'm probably the worst boyfriend on the planet, I-"

"Ok first of all, this isn't that kind of stuff. You didn't have to get me anything. Second of all, considering the conversation we were having a few seconds ago, I don't think you're anywhere near the worst boyfriend on the planet." She reached toward the backseat and pulled out a paper bag. "Here," she said. "Everything in this is for you."

I glanced at the label. "Bath & Body Works?"

She rolled her eyes, "I didn't want to carry a bunch of bags so I just put everything in this one."

"Is it soap? Do I smell? You would tell me if I smell, right? I guess you're telling me right now, actually. I'm sorry, I didn't realize-"

"Frank!"

"Yeah?"

"It's not soap. And you don't smell."

"Oh. Then...?"

"I was doing some research the other day and... I don't know how effective it'll be, but this stuff is supposed to help with your anxiety disorder."

"Anxiety disorder? I have anxiety, but diso-"

"Frank, you need help. I know you don't want it, but it's what you need. Just... try to let me give it to you."

"You didn't have to do this, you know."

"Yes, I did," she said, sticking her hand in the bag. She brought out a candle.

"What's that for?"

"I figured we'd start with aromatherapy. It's lavender! It's supposed to help calm you down when you're feeling anxious. Oh and," she reached in and brought out a small bottle no bigger than her index finger, "scented essential oil. According to the internet, lemon is one of the most soothing fragrances, so that's what I got you. And the article said that you should make green tea a part of your regular diet-"

"Tea?"

"Yeah, but this other article said that chamomile tea is more effective, so I just bought both. And writing down your thoughts when or after you're having a panic attack is supposed to help a lot, so I got you a journal. Don't worry, it's not a middle school diary with doodles and stickers of cats or whatever. Although I did consider getting one of tho-"

"Hazel," I cut her off, "thank you. So much. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

She blushed and looked outside to see where we were parked. "This is my place."

"Yeah, I know."

"Right. Of course you do. You drove me here. Duh."

"Yeah. I did."

"Frank, you know I can't buy you all the help you need. You need to do some stuff on your own too."

"I know."

"The article said to connect with friends and family. Get some sleep."

"Yeah."

"But that can't be it. Maybe just... do what makes you happy. That's all I want for you, Frank. To be happy."

"I will be."

"Good."

"I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too."

I drove to my house on my own.

&&&

"Fai!" I heard my grandmother call. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," I called back.

"Oh. How disappointing."

I rolled my eyes. Maybe I should have been offended, but it's not like she meant it. This was just how Grandma was. Her dry sense of humor was one of the good things this house had to offer.

She was cynical, no doubt. But she made me laugh.

"Why'd you call?"

"Lunch."

"But grandma-"

"No buts. We already have enough of those in this house."

"What?"

"Because 'buts' sounds like 'butts,' which is an insu- Ah never mind. It's not funny if you explain it."

"I'm pretty sure it's not funny either way."

"Fai, was that humor? I see some good has come of living with me."

"Sure, it has. But I've already eaten."

She shot me a look. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, 'What's on the menu?'"

"Good answer. But you don't get a menu. You get dumplings."

I laughed, "Ok, Grandma."

She glanced at the bag in my hand. "Why do you have a Bath & Body Works bag?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i want a gf like hazel levesque criii 
> 
> so, unlike the other two, this one wasnt prewritten.  
> i started writing it maybe a few hours after publishing chapter 1 (as in the one after the prologue).  
> i was going to do annabeth talking to luke for this one, but i decided that i wanted to explore more characters.  
> im thinking maybe ill make this just a pjo au instead of a percabeth one.  
> with percabeth ofc, bc i love them.  
> im not sure though
> 
> if you have anxiety, i recommend doing the things hazel mentioned in the chapter.  
> BUT everyones process and triggers are different.  
> like hazel said, superficial and generic exorcizes cant be it. do what makes you happy.
> 
> love,
> 
> ary


	4. nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: abuse
> 
> this chapter won't be as light-hearted as the others. i couldn't even find a funny one-liner to put as the title.

2021

Annabeth Chase POV

"Luke," I said, "it's time to go. And we... We need to talk."

He looked up. So did all of his friends. "What?"

"We need to go."

He muttered something to one of his friends, Matt Sloan. Then he got up.

&&&

While Luke and I were making our way to the mall parking lot, I stupidly decided to pipe up.

"Piper and I were talking, and she thinks that if we want this relationship to work-"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

I should have seen this coming.

"Luke, I-"

"First, you embarrass me in front of everyone. Then, you bitch about me behind my back?"

You embarrassed me by hooking up with another girl in public.

"I'm sorry, but-"

"I'm sorry? That's all you've got? Sorry isn't enough."

I don't know what you want me to say.

"Well I don't hear you apologizing!" I clamped my hand over my mouth as soon as I said it.

We had reached the parking lot and stopped walking. He turned to face me. "The fuck did you just say?"

You heard me.

"Luke, I didn't mean it. Please. It's just that-"

"It's just that what?"

It's just that you were cheating on me.

"You and Drew were-"

"So, I'm not allowed to have friends that are girls now?"

Of course you are. You just shouldn't cheat on me with them.

"Of course you are, but she was making a move on you-"

"Were we kissing?"

No, but-

"No."

He took a step towards me. I wanted to shrink into a ball. "And you thought I would cheat on you? You don't trust me?"

I don't know. Should I?

"Of course I do. I love you."

"Then why are you acting like a mental case?"

Maybe I am.

"I wasn't-"

"Throwing coffee at my friend? Does that not sound like mental case behaviour to you?"

I guess you have a point.

"I just... I got jealous."

"Maybe the reason you got jealous is because I have more fun with Drew than I do with you."

What kind of fun?

"What do you-"

"You know why I have more fun with her than you?"

Please. No.

I gulped. "Why?"

"Because she isn't insane."

I get it. I'm crazy.

"If you love Drew so much, why don't you date her?"

He was turning red with anger. "I don't love her, Annabeth. I don't even like her. I just hang out with her because honestly, sometimes you just aren't the greatest girlfriend."

So it's my fault you're cheating on me.

Before I could say anything, he kept going.

"Then, you interrupt my time with my friends. Saying we need to 'talk.' Great, now they all think that we have problems."

Do we not have problems?

"I didn't mean to-"

"It's like you're obsessed with me! You can't stand when I'm having fun with someone else, can you? You just have to ruin it somehow. You're so needy, Annabeth."

You're right.

"I'm sorry."

"I thought I told you to stop saying that."

What else do you want me to say?

"I- I'm-"

"You're what? You're 'sorry'?"

Yes.

I remained silent.

"Did I or did I not tell you that 'sorry' isn't enough?"

You did.

I nodded.

"SAY IT!"

Stop. Please.

"You said-"

"LOUDER."

Why are you like this?

"You said 'sorry' isn't enough."

"That's right. Now, do you trust me?"

Luke, you're scaring me.

"Luke, you're scaring me."

He slapped me across the face.

The voice in my head went silent.

"Because you never listen unless you're scared! You want to mope around and tell your friends what a bad boyfriend I am, but you have what you deserve. You have more than what you deserve. You have me. The things that happen to you are because of you. You brought this on yourself. It's your fault. Now. Do you trust me?"

I looked down. My cheek was burning. "Yes."

"I don't like having to do this, you know. But, you leave me no choice."

"I know."

"This is for your own good. I wouldn't do this if you didn't deserve it."

"I was wrong. I'm- it won't happen again."

"Good. How about we put this whole thing behind us, huh?"

I nodded.

"Ok, get in the car."

&&&

My phone was ringing. I checked the caller ID. It was Hazel.

"Hazel? What's up?"

"Annabeth, hi. I just... I want- no I need to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Has Luke ever... touched you?"

I rolled my eyes. "He's my boyfriend, Hazel. Of course he has."

"No, not like that. Ew. I mean does he... abuse you?"

My heart sped up.

"Like, has he ever hit me?"

"Yes, that too. Does he hurt you?"

I looked at my cheek. It wasn't red anymore. It didn't even hurt. Does a battle even count if you don't have any scars?

"No. He doesn't. Why?"

"I'm just worried, Annabeth. Has he ever, um. Said anything to you? Something mean and unjustified?"

I was having trouble breathing. "We're in a relationship. We get in fights all the time. I'm pretty sure these are normal things for a couple," I said in one go.

"You know what I mean. Has he done anything even remotely abusive?"

His voice replayed in my head.

Because of you.

You brought this on yourself.

Your fault.

"Nothing I didn't deserve."

Just then, one of my step-brothers, Bobby opened my room door. "Dinners ready," he said.

"I gotta go, Hazel. Bye."

"Annabeth, I'm worr-"

I hung up and turned to Bobby. "What's for dinner?"

&&&

I sat at the table. No one was saying anything.

Helen was putting the twins to bed. So it was just Dad and I sitting across from each other.

"Dad, how was your business trip?" I asked. I didn't really want to know. I just wanted someone to say something. I dreaded silence.

It didn't work. He either didn't hear me or chose to ignore me, because he was still clacking away on his laptop.

"I'm sure you've already heard about the whole social media thing. You know. Trump got banned from Twitter. That's pretty cool."

Nothing.

"I heard he got banned from Facebook, too. But I wouldn't know, since I'm not on there."

Nada.

"You're on Facebook, right, Dad?"

Still nothing. I sighed. This calls for drastic measures.

"I'm pregnant."

He looked up. "What?"

I don't know why I was trying so hard to get his attention.

You're so needy, Annabeth.

When he noticed me, it gave me no satisfaction whatsoever.

I had nothing to say to him.

I had nothing to say.

I had nothing.

You have what you deserve.

I deserve...

"Nothing. It's nothing." I got up and left.

&&&

I checked my phone.

16 messages from Hazel Levesque.

2 voicemails.

She was such a good friend.

I ignored her.

I don't deserve her.

I deserve nothing.

I am nothing.

Nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is actually my shortest chapter so far.  
> we're travelling today, if that's a worthy explanation. i was visiting my aunt and uncle and we're coming back today. so this was written in a bit of a hurry.
> 
> people that are/have been in abusive relationships often don't know it or try to deny it. what luke is doing to annabeth in this chapter is called gaslighting. the term is thrown around a lot, but when it's real, it can get really bad and lead to thoughts of self hatred. if you recognise yourself or anyone you know in this situation, please tell someone and distance yourself from your abuser in any way you can.
> 
> love ,
> 
> ary


	5. dollar store danny zuko

2021

Percy Jackson POV

"Perseus Jackson?" The lady looked up at me through her half moon spectacles.

I resisted the urge to correct her. "That's me."

She nodded. "This way, Mr. Jackson."

I followed her down the hall. We stopped at a door with a name on the door. "Principal Dionysus."

Shouldering the door open, she gave a brief greeting to the person inside before turning to me. "This is Principal Dionysus. He will be your principal during your time here at Goode High."

Yeah, no shit.

"And this," she gestured toward the kid behind him, "is Grover Underwood. He will be your classmate and tour guide for however long you need him." I nodded. She stared at me until I realised that she wanted me to say something.

"Oh, uh... cool?"

"I'll leave you to get acquainted," she sighed and shook her head, clearly not pleased with my answer.

I turned to the principal. Neither of us said anything for a few seconds. I couldn't take it anymore, so I said, "Nice name."

He looked at me with a poker face. "To you as well, Peter Johnson."

I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. But if he was, I'd say his sense of humor wasn't half bad. But even if he was funny, I wasn't sure I liked him yet. People thought Bill Cosby was funny. Look how that turned out.

Maybe I shouldn't have made that analogy.

The kid behind him (Grover? Like the muppet?) rolled his eyes. He clearly wasn't a fan of the principal.

Dionysus turned to him. "Gerald, give Pierre a tour. I have nothing more to say to say."

Oh. Ok. So it wasn't a joke then. He just forgets people's names.

That's... um.

A very notable character trait.

Grover (or was is Gerald? Was the principal even saying his name wrong or do I just have bad ears?) stepped forward, grabbed my arm and lead me out of the office.

"So," I said, "is your name Grover or Gerald? Genuine question."

"Actually my name is Gunthenbürger."

I winced, "Yikes." Then I realised that that was probably really rude. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Dude. I'm joking," he laughed. "It's Grover. D just doesn't like calling us by our names."

"Right. And you call him D because-?"

"His name starts with D."

"And-?"

"He's a dick."

"There it is."

He chuckled "Okay, Pierre. You might miss first period but we have a note, so it's ok. You won't get in any trouble anyway. Teachers love making good first impressions and then just transforming into monsters."

"Like Jack-Jack."

"What?"

"From The Incredibles."

"Oh. Yeah, exactly like that. Except eviler. Anyways, let's take a look at that schedule and get started with this tour, shall we?"

&&&

"Okay, we're done. It's not a very big school, and I doubt you'll ever even need to use any of those rooms," said Grover. "I should get to class. We missed homeroom, so you have," he glanced at my schedule, "history with Mr. Brunner. He's pretty cool. I should warn you though. The debates in that class can get pretty heated sometimes." He grabbed my arm and led me to a door with a plaque on it that said 'History Room 2.' A few other students were still walking in, so I guess I wasn't that late.

"Debates?" I asked.

"Oh, you know. Political stuff. Religious stuff. Morality or whatever. Bigoted things are said sometimes. It's just the kind of thing you see around here. I remember when were talking about Black Lives Matter. A disturbing number of people that go here support ALM."

"Don't people like, get in trouble?"

"I mean, sometimes, yeah. But a lot of the teachers are bigots too. Not Mr. Brunner, though. I wish I was in his class. I think this week we're learning about the Holocaust," he gave me a pitying smile. "Good luck."

"Yeah, um... Thanks, man."

I pushed the door open. A bunch of kids were sitting at their desks. A man in a wheelchair and a tweed jacket, Mr. Brunner I'm assuming, was sitting at his desk, telling everyone to settle down.

In movies, when the newbie main character walks in to class, everyone stops what they're doing to stare at them.

No one did that here. Because this was real life. Not a movie.

Or maybe I just wasn't the main character.

"Alright, students," said Mr. Brunner announced. "We have a new classmate joining us today. Percy, I am aware that you were not present for homeroom. Would you like to introduce yourself?"

I felt sweat trickle down my neck. "Uh... no, thank you. That's okay. I would really rather just learn about the, um, Holocaust."

That earned a few chuckles. I didn't think crippling social anxiety was all that hilarious, but oh well.

Mr. Brunner looked like he wanted to protest but decided against it. "Very well. You may take a seat over there in front of Dylan," he gestured toward a guy with greasy black hair. He was clearly taller than most of the people in class. His legs were stretched out beneath the desk. Sitting in front of him should be fun. I walked over and sat there. "Learn about the Holocaust we shall. Let's start discussing the Diary of a Young Girl. Percy, you of course, were not present when I assigned the few chapters, but I trust you are somewhat familiar with the life of Anne Frank?"

"Uh... Yeah," was my great response. "I don't remember all the details but I think I know the basics."

"Mr. Brunner?" said someone behind Knock-Off Johnny Lawrence with a hand in the air.

"Yes, Ms. Chase?"

"The Diary of Anne Frank... It's supposed to be educational, right? That's why we're learning about it in a history class?" She was standing up now. She was... Well, she was pretty. There, I said it. She had long blonde hair and... I'm not sure what it was, but I just wanted to smile when I looked at her. But high school is full of pretty girls. It's not that big of a deal.

And besides, you can acknowledge the fact that someone is attractive without actually being attracted to them, right? Also, beauty is subjective. I don't think I've ever met a girl that I'd call ugly. At least not on the outside. So what if I think this one girl is good looking? I'll probably think the same about everyone else at Goode High too.

Why am I thinking so hard about this? I don't even know her.

"Yes, Annabeth," Mr. Brunner replied, bringing me back to reality. "The Diary of Anne Frank is educational."

Annabeth. That's a nice name.

I felt a kick on the back of my chair. Douche-y Superman. Of course.

"Is it really, though?"

Wait, what?

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Should we really consider it educational?"

Mr. Brunner looked confused. "Of course we should. Why would you say otherwise?"

"Because," I heard dollar store Danny Zuko say behind me, "the Holocaust isn't real! It's a myth designed to-"

"No," said Annabeth. "We are not having that debate again. The Holocaust was very much real and negatively impacted the world as a whole. I'm not doubting the diary's legitimacy as non-fiction. I'm doubting it's legitimacy as an educational piece of literature. What exactly does it teach us?"

Ok, so she wasn't one of those people that don't believe in the Holocaust. I still didn't get what she meant by the educational thing.

Chiron chuckled uncomfortably, but Annabeth still had a poker face. "It shows how Jewish people lived back then, of course."

"Does it? Or does it only show how this one Jewish girl lived back then?"

She was right, but I wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"It gives us perspective. A way to see how people back then felt."

"Everyone would have had a different experience. They all would have had different feelings. We're focusing on Anne. A literal child. By reading her diary. She wrote her personal, private thoughts in there. She died a horrible, horrible death. By publishing her confidential information for the world to see, aren't we disrespecting her  
tremendously?

"The book seems to be more about all the boys she kissed and in the case of the uncensored version, girls she wanted to kiss than the actual Holocaust. Why was any of that necessary? I understand why historians valued the writing. It was primary evidence. However, broadcasting the entire thing to the world for no reason other than to make money off of it... it's pretty sleazy. Why couldn't they just publish the factual, educational content, let the rest remain unknown to the world?"

Mr. Brunner opened his mouth to reply when I raised my hand hesitantly.

"Mr. Jackson," he said. "You have the floor."

"Marketting," I said.

Annabeth blinked. "What?"

"You asked why the details of Anne Frank's personal life were included in the published book. I was answering you."

"Oh. Right. I knew that."

"You probably meant it as a rhetorical question, but if I had to give you an answer, it would be that. Marketting, I mean. I guess they figured that no one wants to read a bunch of facts about the Holocaust. They needed another aspect to make it more captivating."

"So we're invading a dead child's privacy for entertainment?"

"I didn't say it was right. I just think it's most likely to be true. You're right, it is sleazy."

"You're probably right. I just think that there are better ways to execute that than publishing a teenager's diary. Historical fiction like JoJo Rabbit is a great example. Or, for an even more well-known one, Titanic. Historically, there was no Jack or Rose on that ship. There was no Nazi boy who's imaginary friend was Adolf Hitler-"

"What?"

"I can't explain right now, but it's a really good film, you should check it out. I think it's streaming on Disney+."

"Oh, cool, I will."

"What I'm trying to say is," she continued, "those movies kept the audience entertained while still being educational. Why they had to turn Anne's life into a soap AND the characters weren't real life people. With exceptions like Hitler, of course. We weren't sticking our nose into the private life of a regular girl. But this is objectifying a real person. The way they turned Anne's life into a soap opera that the entire world has access to is... it's..."

"Gross?"

"Yeah, actually. It kind of is."

"Excuse me," said someone with a high-pitched voice at the far right of the room. "May I cut in?"

Chiron sighed and nodded. "Go on, Laurel." Annabeth lifted her chin a little higher as if she was accepting a challenge.

"Anne said at the beginning of the book that she wanted to be legendary, or something like that. By sharing her story, we're not disrespecting her. We're helping her achieve her dream. And she's dead. Is privacy really a factor?"

"It is," Annabeth almost instantly replies. "Dead or alive, she's a human who's memory needs to be respected. And as for what you said about her wanting to be remembered, I do think that she wanted a legacy. I don't think that this is how she wanted it. She wanted to do something worth being remembered for. She didn't get enough time to fulfill that. All she did was live her life.

"I know that people want to think that wherever Anne is, she's looking upon the world, happy with how everyone knows her name, but trust me. No teenager wants their diary published. She wasn't ready to share any of that information with the world. She hadn't even discovered who she was. It's just not fair."

The room was silent for a moment.

"I don't have much of a say in your syllabus," said Mr. Brunner, "but I'll be sure to take it up with the school's education board."

Annabeth smugly smiled. She knew she had won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is the longest chapter ive written in a while, but it took wayy too long. im sorry yall im slacking. i have this thing called school so ;-;
> 
> i dont have that many readers either. comments and votes are really motivating. i lowkey work better under pressure
> 
> the whole anne frank thing came from something i was thinking about in class but didnt have the guts to say out loud because ✨social anxiety✨
> 
> love,  
> ary


	6. the AUDACITY

2021

Drew Tanaka POV

I slammed my locker. A few heads turned. I didn't mind. I saw Annabeth Chase walk out of Mr. Brunner's class.

Now's the time.

I tried not to make too much of a scene. Key word being tried. When she was close enough for me to grab her arm, I dragged her into the nearest janitor's closet.

"What the hell?," she said when I shut the door.

"I could say the same to you."

"What are you talking about?"

I rolled my eyes. Was this girl being serious right now? How did she have the audacity to act like she did nothing wrong?

"I don't know what your problem with Luke and I is, but you need to leave us alone."

"I need to leave you alone? I'm not the one kidnapping people in the janitor's closet."

"Drop the act, Chase. We're just trying to be a happy couple. I get that you two used to date and you miss him, but you're not his girlfriend anymore. Move on."

"Wait, used to date? We're still together." What is this bitch going on about?

"Annabeth, we're not friends or whatever, but what's going on here isn't healthy. See a therapist or something. Luke broke up with you like, two weeks ago. I understand why you would be jealous, but why do you have to ruin my relationship?"

"Your relationship? Luke and I have been dating for three months. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go for class." She wasn't going to own up to it, is she?

I grabbed her arm again. "No, you started dating months ago. He broke up with you because he and I had feelings for each other and he couldn't be in a relationship with you anymore. Stuff like that happens, but you can't pull shit like this. Stop living in some fantasy where you're still dating him. Face the facts."

"The facts are that Luke never broke up with me. Did he... did he tell you that he did?"

Wait, I'm confused. Was she trying to mess with my head?

"Yeah, he made a move on me and when I asked about you he said that you two broke up."

She tilted her head.

I sighed. "You're really gonna pretend you don't know?"

"I'm not pretending. You're lying. You have to be"

"Here, watch," I said opening the door. "Hey, you!" I called to the kid at the nearest locker. Connor Stoll, I think. Or was it Travis? I honestly couldn't care less. He turned around. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of us. "Who is Luke Castellan dating?"

"Um," he said. "Was it..? Drew, didn't he call you his girlfriend the other day?"

"Yeah, he did," I said looking at Annabeth smugly.

"But," he continued, "this morning he called Annabeth his girlfriend."

My smile fell. Annabeth looked just as confused as I must have. "Thanks, Travis," she said shutting the door.

"So, everyone thinks he's dating you," I said. "No one told me."

"And everyone thinks he's dating you. People told me, but Luke always said those were just rumors."

"Luke said you were his crazy ex. This whole time... oh my god," I facepalmed. "I must have looked like such a jerk."

"And I must have looked like a stalker. Sorry about your sweater, by the way."

"It's ok, I dunked the entire thing in coffee, so now it just looks like it was always brown. You were right. It did need a little color. And it smells good" 

She cracked a smile.

I was quickly overcome by anger. "That son of a bitch."

Annabeth dropped her gaze to her feet. "Well, one of us has to break up with him."

I looked at her in shock. "One of us?"

She looked at me like what she said made perfect sense. "Yeah, so?"

"So, if I break up with him, what? You're going to stay with him? You just found out that he's been cheating on you!"

"I-"

"No," I realized. "I just found out he's been cheating on you. You... you already knew. You've caught us so many times. Why are you still with him?"

She didn't meet my gaze.

"Well," I said, "I'm breaking up with him. I think you should too."

Her expression turned cold. "So if you can't have him, no one can?"

I was a little taken aback by her sudden aggression. "What?"

She scowled at me. "Thanks for the advice, Drew, but I think I can handle my own relationship."

"Annabeth, that's not-"

"Bye, Drew." She opened the door and left.

&&&

"Alright, everyone. Today we're going to be working with assigned partners," said Ms. Ahmed said, facing the chalkboard. A few hands went up.

"No, you may not switch," she said, not bothering to look over her tshoulder. There was a collective groan from the class.

"Oh, just shush and let me do my job. Travis, you're with Clarisse. Silena and Katie. Pollux and Connor. Piper and Drew. Juniper and-" She went on but I could care less.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Piper plop down next to me. Surprise, surprise, she didn't look pleased to be working with me.

"Look, about the whole Luke thing-"

"What? You're 'sorry'? I'm not the one you should apologize to. And even then, I don't think you deserve to be forgiven."

"I can explain-"

"What is there to explain? You repeatedly hooked up with a guy who you knew had a girlfriend."

"Miss McLean, Miss Tanaka!" called Ms. Ahmed. "Less gossiping, more dissecting!"

"Yes, ma'am," I said before turning back to Piper and lowering my voice.

"But I didn't!"

"You didn't what?"

"Know he had a girlfriend."

"Wow, Drew. You really are something else."

"I'm serious! Luke told me that they broke up and Annabeth was just being jealous."

"You really expect me to believe that Luke was somehow two timing you without either of you knowing?"

"I mean, would you put it past him?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "How do you know all this?"

"Annabeth and I were talking right before this."

"So she knows then?"

"Yeah, but I don't think she's going to break up with him."

"Are you?"

"Duh. I have that much self respect."

Piper glared at me. I realized that sounded like a dig on Annabeth. "I- I mean-"

She sighed. "No, you're right. Annabeth needs to prioritize herself. It's just... It's really hard, you know? Watching her stay in a situation that obviously isn't good for her."

"Yeah, I know."

"When I see Luke Castellan he's going to wish he was never born."

"It's a shame. I really thought we had something."

She wrinkled her nose. "Your taste in men is horrible."

I shrugged. "Hey, I'm still breaking up with him. He's a terrible person. I hope he dies a painful death. That doesn't mean he isn't hot."

Piper shook her head. "Okay. I'm gonna text Hazel."

"What about Annabeth?"

"No, I have to talk to her in person. If I text her about something like this she'll leave me on read or make something up to defend him."

"And why would that be different in person?"

"It's easier to tell how she's feeling. Understand her. Talk to her. Annabeth is... complicated. She doesn't like to give away much, but I'm her best friend. I can read her." She held her phone underneath the table and started typing.

&&&

Piper and I stepped out of the classroom. 

"Hey," she nudged me. "Over there." I turned my head to see what she was looking at. Luke Castellan.

"Let's go." I grabbed her arm. She showed no restraint and walked with me.

I was ready to give Luke a piece of my mind but someone had beat me to it.

"What the actual fuck, Castellan?"

Hazel Levesque.

Luke turned to see her. She was more than a head shorter than him, but so full of rage she could probably take him and all of his friends down if she tried. But if Luke was fazed, he didn't show it.

"Hazel, hey! What's up?"

"What's up is that you're a-"

"Hazel," I cut her off. "I'll take it from here."

Even putting aside the whole Luke scandal, Annabeth Chase's friend group and I never got along. But right now, Hazel understood my anger. She knew that I had to handle this. Well, Annabeth and I.

She nodded and stepped back. Luke looked confused.

"So," I said. "How are things with you and Annabeth?"

"Wha-"

"I heard you two are still going strong."

He lowered his voice, "Who told you that?"

"Drop the act, Luke. We're done. I'm not a side chick. And neither is she."

"Can we not do this in public?"

The AUDACITY.

I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted as loud as I could "HEY EVERYBODY!" Luke tried to grab my arm but I swatted his hand away."DID YOU KNOW THAT LUKE CASTELLAN TOLD ME HE BROKE UP WITH ANNABETH CHASE WHILE HE WAS STILL DATING HER SO THAT HE COULD SCREW US BOTH AT THE SAME TIME? REAL CLASSY, AM I RIGHT?"

Everyone around us looked shellshocked. I could see Luke getting angrier and angrier, but that wasn't enough to silence me.

What did silence me was a soft, muffled voice, probably not even meant for me to hear. "Make it stop."

I turned to see who the voice belonged to.

Annabeth Chase had her head buried in Jason Grace's shoulder.

She wanted this to stop.

Her situation was probably worse than mine.

I never agreed with Annabeth Chase once, but I didn't want her to be in pain. Especially after I unknowingly put her through so much.

I owed this to her.

Without another word, I walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so um
> 
> thats that ig
> 
> bet you didnt see that one coming
> 
> or maybe you did idk
> 
> anyways
> 
> sorry this chapter took so long fdgcwhs
> 
> i dont even have an excuse other than "i just suck" 
> 
> love,  
> ary


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this isnt rly a warning or whatever, more like just a heads up letting you know in advance that thalia uses they/them pronouns in this story

2021

Percy Jackson POV

After History, I had English. It was nothing special. Unless you count the fact that I didn't have a choice but to introduce myself and act like a total fool because Mr. Blofis is my stepdad. I mean, I loved the guy, but seriously?

I also met this kid in that class. Leo Valdez. I didn't really know him that well, but from what I could tell, he had a really weird sense of humor and severe ADHD. So did I. Both of us together was probably a recipe for disaster but I was willing to take that risk.

"Dude, dude, dude," I heard Leo say. "Do you wanna sit with us at lunch?"

"Us?"

He rolled his eyes. "Uh, yeah. I have friends, you know."

"Sorry, I wasn't- I didn't mean-"

He laughed. "Dude, relax. Oh, there's some of them right there! Come on, I'll introduce you!" He started dragging me over before I could say anything.

"Oh. I- Okay."

Once we were closer enough to the lockers, I could see that the group Leo was leading me towards was a group of guys. One was tall and chubby with a military buzzcut. Another was blonde wearing a purple T-shirt. Next to him, seemingly hiding behind him, was a kid who looked like he had stepped right out of 2012 Tumblr. In other words, emo. The last guy, the only one I actually recognized, was Grover Underwood.

"Guys!" Leo said. "Look what I found!" He made what I hope was a jokingly pleading face. "Can we keep him? Please?"

See what I meant by weird sense of humor?

Grover smiled at me. "Percy, I see you survived History. How bad was it?"

"Not that bad," I replied. "But did you know that there are still people that don't believe in the Holocaust?"

2012 Tumblr kid sarcastically grumbled, "Yeah, it's almost like this school is full of idiots."

Blondie rolled his eyes and turned to me. "Don't mind Nico, he's going through a phase where he performs exorcisms with Happy Meals."

Nico glared at him. "Jason, that's not-"

"Anyways," Leo interrupted, "where's everyone else?"

"Class, probably," said Grover. "Piper said she has Ms. Ahmed and Annabeth and Hazel have Mrs. Dodds. Both of those teachers usually go a few minutes overtime." Annabeth was part of this friend group. I don't know why that struck me. Probably because she's the only name I recognized. Yeah, that's probably it.

"And Thalia?"

Jason answered this time, "They're on their period so probably in the bathroom."

I guess I was expecting them to make disgusted faces or say something like, "Ew, TMI," at the mention of the menstrual cycle, but they just nodded like it was a normal thing that a lot of people went through. Which it was. 

"Guys," said Buzzcut, "are Piper and Drew holding hands?"

"What? No way." Leo craned his neck to look down the hall. "Oh, this is priceless."

I looked where he was looking. I saw two girls hand in hand marching in our direction. They looked mad. I really hoped that anger wasn't directed at any of the friends I had just made. Could I even call them my friends yet? That was a crisis for another time.

Before anyone else could make a comment, we heard two more voices. "Let me at him!"

"Hazel, NO!"

"What in the...?" Jason muttered.

The owner of the first voice stomped towards us, the owner of the second voice, trailing behind her.

"Hazel-" Frank started to say.

"Here, hold this," she, interrupted him, tossing her backpack over to him.

"Hazel," said the owner of the second voice who I now recognized as Annabeth Chase from History class. "Don't do this. Please."

"You've put up with him long enough. This ends now."

"It's not that simple!"

"Yes, it is!"

"What's going on?" I whispered to Leo.

"No idea," he whispered back. "All the context I can give you is that Annabeth's boyfriend cheated on her with Drew Tanaka but she hasn't broken up with him. Something else must have happened because I don't think I've ever seen Hazel this mad about anything before."

Buzzcut's eyebrows furrowed. His expression was dark "I think I have an idea."

Before we could ask what he was talking about, Hazel walked up to a guy who was going through his locker and laughing with his friends.

"What the actual fuck, Castellan?"

Leo whistled. "She's cussing? This should be good."

Buzzcut shook his head. "Not the time, Leo."

Annabeth shook her head and buried her head in her hands. "I can't watch."

"C'mere," said Jason, pulling her into a one armed hug. It was an intimate gesture, but it was clearly platonic. "You can tell me what happened later, ok?"

The guy Hazel was talking to turned around. "Hazel, hey! What's up?"

"What's up is that you're a-"

"Hazel," someone cut her off. It was one of the girls who was walking hand in hand a few seconds ago. Drew or Piper. I wasn't sure. "I'll take it from here."

Annabeth's muffled voice whispered, "Please don't tell me it's Drew."

"It's Drew," said Buzzcut.

"That's what she said not to say, Zhang!"

Zhang. Sounded like a last name, but I could work with it.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Annabeth."

Annabeth replied, "It's okay, Frank."

Frank. That was his name. Okay.

Hazel nodded at Drew and stepped back.

"What on earth is the tea?" Leo said, intrigued.

"Shut up, Valdez," said Frank. "But, yeah, I have no idea."

Drew looked the guy in the eye. "So. How are things with you and Annabeth?"

The guy, I'm guessing Annabeth's boyfriend looked confused. "Wha-"

"I heard you two are still going strong."

His expression turned stony. "Who told you that?"

"I'm confused," I mumbled.

"Yeah, so are we. You aren't special," joked Leo. It was lighthearted but his face was serious.

"Drop the act, Luke. We're done. I'm not a side chick. And neither is she."

"What caused that change of heart?" whispered Jason. Annabeth didn't say anything. She just shook her head slightly.

"Can we not do this in public?" said Luke.

I didn't know what was going on, but I knew that wasn't the right thing to say.

Judging b by what Drew did next, she would have agreed with me. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "HEY EVERYBODY!" Luke tried to grab her arm but she wasn't taking any of his crap. "DID YOU KNOW THAT LUKE CASTELLAN TOLD ME HE BROKE UP WITH ANNABETH CHASE WHILE HE WAS STILL DATING HER SO THAT HE COULD SCREW US BOTH AT THE SAME TIME? REAL CLASSY, AM I RIGHT?"

Oh.

So that's what was going on

I looked at Annabeth. She was still hugging Jason, who was really pissed. Leo looked like he wanted to say something but was holding himself back. I had only known him an hour, but I could tell that wasn't something he did very often. Frank had his hand over his mouth. Grover and Nico, who I had almost forgotten were there, were patting her back in comfort.

I wished I could give her some form of reassurance, but I had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate it coming from a stranger.

Luke was furious. Drew didn't seem to care. 

I heard Annabeth's muffled sniffle. "Make it stop."

Drew looked like there was more she wanted to say, but she glanced at Annabeth and must have decided against it. She walked away, leaving everyone in shock.

Jason wrapped his free arm around Annabeth, now wrapping her in a full on hug. She let out a soft sob and pushed him away. "It's okay," she said.

"No, it's not," said Hazel. "Annabeth, I know that this is your life and your relationship but... what's going on here isn't okay. You're way too good for him. And he doesn't give you a fraction of the respect you deserve."

"How'd you even find out?"

"Why? Were you not planning on telling us?" Annabeth shot her a look. "Piper texted me."

Annabeth turned to look at the girl who must've been Piper, who responded with, "Drew and I had Bio together. She told me."

Annabeth shook her head, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Great. That's just great." The bell rang. The hallway was emptying.

"Aren't you getting mad about the wrong thing?" asked Nico.

"What?"

"I mean, your boyfriend was cheating on you. You have every right to be pissed. At him. Why are you angry that we know?"

"I'm not angry, I'm just-"

"Upset. Why? Why don't you want us to know? We're your friends. We want to help you."

"If you want to help me, leave me alone."

I wasn't sure what I was expecting her to say but it definitely wasn't that. Everyone else must have felt the same because they all looked taken aback.

"Annabeth-" started Grover.

"Stop," she said, rubbing her face. "You have no idea how much worse you've made things."

I wanted to say something. I really did. I couldn't find the words. She noticed me for the first time. I felt like an intruder. "What are you doing here?"

"I- I wasn't-"

"He's with me," piped up Leo. "I was gonna introduce him to you guys but uh," he paused, "we should probably get acquainted some other time."

I nodded. "What he said."

"Guys!" I heard an unfamiliar voice shout, as well as pattering footsteps. Someone with spiky hair dressed in black was running down the hall towards us. "I'm here! What did I miss?"

"Thals, where have you been?" asked Jason. "The bell already rang. I don't care if your uterus is bleeding, you need to be faster."

"I had a tampon emergency."

"As if you even noticed they were gone," said Nico.

"Okay, I'm slightly offended."

"You missed a lot."

"Yeah, I can tell." They looked me up and down. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Annabeth." Luke walked up to us. "Come on, you're ditching."

"What?" Piper asked before Annabeth could say anything. "You don't get to tell her what to-"

"Piper," Annabeth shot her a look. "Please. It's fine."

"I-" Annabeth looked at him with pleading eyes. "Fine." Jason turned to us. "We should get to class." He grabbed Leo's arm and walked down the halls. We followed them.

Once we were at the corner where the line of lockers ended and out of Annabeth and Luke's sight, Piper stopped walking. I was the only one that noticed though.

She saw my questioning face and whispered, "Please don't say anything. I'm not usually an eavesdropper but..."

"You're worried about her," I guessed. "I get it. She's your friend."

"Best friend," she corrected. "But, yeah. You should get going. Unless you want to...?"

I frowned. "Isn't that ethically wrong?"

"We're all going to hell anyway. We're definitely going to hell if there's something toxic going on with the two of them and we don't do anything about it."

"I'm an atheist."

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. Are you staying or going?"

I wasn't proud of what I did next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooh what do u think he did next??
> 
> jk its pretty obvious
> 
> also ye thalia uses they/them pronouns bc why tf not yk
> 
> i started writing this like a day after i published the last chapter which was yesterday and i was planning on this already being posted before today but im slow so
> 
> love,
> 
> ary


End file.
